Friday, 9 May 2014

This past winter, the Today Art Museum in Beijing welcomed a brand-new solo show of my latest paintings and sculptures, called Wonderland. It was such an incredible experience: Wonderland was the largest exhibition of a European artist's work in the museum's history and by far the most remarkable opportunity I've had to show my work within Asia. Visitors took photos beside the red Love poppy and topaz Peace water lily sculptures at the exhibition's centerpiece, adding a beautiful chapter to the traveling Love & Peace Campaign's story as a global art installation.

View of Ana Tzarev's Wonderland exhibition, Beijing, China. 2014.

As a result of Wonderland's warm reception in Beijing and beyond, I was invited to have my works featured in the third annual Xinjiang Biennale, a flourishing art festival in China's Urumqi region. The title for this year's Biennale is 'Encountering: New Art on the Silk Road'; it aims to foster an exchange of ideas and of creativity between nations in the tradition of European and Asian cultures mixing along the historic trade route for which it was named.

The concept is one that resounds today, in a world growing more globalised with every moment. Because of this, I believe that there is truly no better time to be an artist than in the present age. Contemporary creators have opportunities to share their work that no era in history can rival. A fluid and ever-changing open forum of exchange and production has begun to replace the traditional notion of 'art centers'; as technology grows and connects us, all are invited to participate in a living, breathing art world.

With these changes come new challenges. As our works reach farther, we are called to adapt our means of expression so that the meaning of our effort is not lost in translation. Artists are communicators, the most powerful of whom can send messages across any and all boundaries.

I have found that flowers provide a perfect language of expression for my art. In my eyes, they are the essential symbol of peace and goodwill - in their beauty and grace lies infinite understanding that requires no words. Free of politics, religion, and nation, all mankind can see a brilliant bloom and feel the same sense of tranquility.

When I paint and sculpt, I imagine that I am creating a sanctuary for those who will see my works - a place of welcoming open to all, regardless of country. It was so rewarding to learn that Wonderland's curator, Peng Feng, Ph.D., sees that within my work, and I am grateful for his words:

"Ana's works transcend difference not just between East and West, but between all cultures. In this sense, her art is a new kind of art for the globalised era, and appreciation of this new art form is not subject to cultural restrictions. That is why her exhibitions have so deeply touched audiences on all continents."

It is an honour to have been selected as a participant in this year's Xinjiang Biennale, and I am so thankful that my voice will be found among those present in its dialogue between nations. I send my sincere thanks to the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China for granting me the opportunity to participate in this fantastic celebration of global culture, and to Peng Feng for championing the idea of an art world made more beautiful through harmony and acceptance.

I have been painting full time for 25 years.

A true ‘citizen of the world,’ Ana Tzarev’s work is edified by decades of
extensive travel. She has taken residence in bustling Asian cities,
remote African villages, and the pristine landscapes of Australia,
immersing herself in cultures and customs to translate them onto canvas.
Her paintings are borne of that same lineage that produced the
sketchbooks of great explorers—logs kept to chart unknown realms
and share the wonders they possessed. Art critic Edward Lucie-Smith
describes her relationship with her work: “Ana Tzarev is a dynamic and
visionary painter because she has a constant desire to get it all down,
to recreate what she encounters in her own visual language.”

Tzarev’s artistic sensibilities have been honed by the histories of
those she encounters: through studies of the linear, organic qualities
that comprise Japanese woodcuts and the bold and distinctive textures of
the Masai textiles, she has developed an undeniably unique style. With exuberant, frenetic swathes of paint, the artist creates
pieces that function equally as documentary of tradition and the
capturing of ephemeral, universal moments; Tzarev’s joyful approach to
art enables her to encapsulate the emotions that preserve them, exuding
the very essence of life that makes these subjects so compelling.
Renowned art critic Dr. Alexander Borovsky eloquently describes her
style: “Ana Tzarev has learned how to ‘capture’ the depictive motif very
quickly. She has developed a powerful gestural style with an energy not
unlike that of the post-impressionist era: an open color, a
three-dimensional brush stroke—or rather, a fiery haze of strokes
drifting optically in space; a triumph of the de-reflective approach,
driven towards capturing and mastering nature’s signals.”

The
appeal of Ana Tzarev’s vibrant and expressive work is apparent in the
breadth of exhibitions that have showcased her art worldwide. Her
paintings have been featured in galleries, museums, and public spaces
across Europe and Asia, including the State Russian Museum in St.
Petersburg, the Gildo Pastor Centre in Monaco, the Santralistanbul
Museum of Contemporary Art in Istanbul, Cite Internationale des Arts in
Paris, the Saatchi Gallery in London, the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, and
the Museo Diocesano di Venezia Sant’ Apollonia in Venice.

2013
is slated to be a significant year for Ms. Tzarev and her art. In
January, her works premiered at the National Museum of Rome in an
exhibition entitled “The Life of Flowers”, curated by famed art
historian Marco Tonelli. A large collection of works from the artist’s
Exposed series was also selected for inclusion in Venice’s 55th
Biennale. In 2014, she is poised to debut her paintings in China at
Beijing’s Today Art Museum.

The motivating force behind Ana
Tzarev’s work is the notion that art can be utilized as a powerful tool
for progress. From 2011 to 2013, she has shown her support for youth
arts through From Ana Tzarev, With Love, a joint workshop-exhibition
encouraging creative collaboration between children in Istanbul, London,
Paris, and New York. In 2012, she premiered an ongoing global
sculptural exploration, entitled Love & Peace, which has garnered
worldwide attention and acclaim. Conceived as a conduit for conversation
among all people, the massive floral sculptures of Love & Peace
have been installed in London, Shenzhen, and New York, with plans to
place more of these flowers in cities across the world. Tzarev wishes to
foster feelings of unity and the bond of one community through art, in
all the diverse ethnic groups that comprise the Earth.